Hyde 1-1 Blackpool

Seasiders Held By Conference Outfit

Blackpool drew 1-1 with Hyde United at Ewens Field, as the Seasiders continued their pre-season preparations.

A second-half strike from Scott Spencer gave the hosts the lead but Matt Phillips levelled shortly after as the game ended one apiece.

Ian Holloway sprung a surprise by naming a strong 11 for the pre-season trip to North Manchester, with seven recognised first team regulars selected as well as new boys Tiago Gomes and Scott Robertson.

A glorious Ewens Field pitch – funded by Manchester City whose development squad play at the same ground – gave Blackpool the chance to impose themselves on the Blue Square outfit.

Gomes fed Phillips early on but his left foot shot was turned away by keeper David Carnell, with the winger shaking his head at his inability to convert.

That aside, Pool, although enjoying the lion’s share of the possession, struggled to pose any real intensity on proceedings.

On 17 minutes Elliot Grandin saw his shot blocked by a Hyde defender and Gomes came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock when his follow-up came back off the post.

Phillips headed wide from a Grandin free-kick towards the end of the opening period but that was the best Pool could muster as the half-time whistle was blown.

A torrential downpour of rain greeted the two sides back out on to the pitch for the second period and despite a lengthy half-time team talk from the Pool boss, it was Hyde who took the lead on 58 minutes.

A through ball found the advancing Spencer and the striker shrugged off the attentions of Adam Dodd, before firing a smart finish past Matt Gilks.

Thankfully the visitors responded almost immediately. Phillips gathered a loose ball and threw two step-overs on his way into the area and dispatched a left foot shot home, with the aid of a deflection.

A host of changes then ensued with Holloway keen to rotate his squad, but the game petered out with little more action of note.